The present invention relates generally to a motor vehicle having a driver's compartment and a dashboard and steering wheel within the compartment, wherein the dashboard has a generally vertically-extending front surface facing the steering wheel, and deals more particularly with such a vehicle wherein the dashboard includes a sub-panel, carrying manually-operable controls, movable from a position at the front surface of the dashboard to a position located adjacent the steering wheel.
In the past, it has been customary to mount the controls for vehicle accessories on the front surface of a dashboard in a fixed position. Depending upon where the controls are fixed to the dashboard, the vehicle operator often must look to the dashboard, taking his or her eyes off of the road for a significant time period, and often must reach with one hand to a location away from the steering wheel for the procedure of selecting and setting the desired controls.
To alleviate the above-mentioned problems inherent in controls mounted to the dashboard, it is known to mount the controls for one or more vehicle accessories directly onto the steering wheel. However, this has the disadvantages that only a limited amount of space is available on the steering wheel, the controls on the steering wheel may interfere with safe operation of the wheel, and since the wheel must be able to rotate about the steering column, complicated mechanisms are needed to connect the controls on the rotatable steering wheel to the stationary structure of the automobile carrying the accessories.
The object of this invention is therefore to provide a mounting for the controls of one or more vehicle accessories which reduces the hazards and problems inherent in the controls being located either on the dashboard or on the steering wheel.
In keeping with the above, a more detailed object of the invention is to provide a means for mounting the controls for one or more vehicle accessories so that they are normally positioned at the front surface of the dashboard and, when the need for their manipulation arises, are movable from the dashboard to a position adjacent the steering wheel to minimize the time needed for the operator to adjust them and to reduce the movements required by his or her eyes and hands.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device for commanding movement of the sub-panel which is operable in a way such that the operator need neither look away from the road nor reach away from the steering wheel with one hand in order to command movement of the sub-panel.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following specification and from the appended drawings and claims.